Total PC Gaming Issue 1
This magazine was released in November 2007 and cost £3.99. Total News Next-generation gaming goes mainstream - 1⅓ pages (8-9) :NVIDIA 8800GT graphics card heralds a new age of affordable DirectX 10 performance. Dimension gun is a hole lotta fun (9) :Portal gun comes to Half-Life 2 Gamer's mini-marvel has LANded (9) :Shuttle's small form factor PCs punch well above their weight. Is online gaming dying a death... (10) :...or has the demise of MMO been grossly exaggerated? This month we love... Steve Ballmer's big mouth (11) Games for Windows Live can't match Steam power (11) :All new update fails to top free alternatives Speak David Braben Interview - Dan Howdle - 2 pages (12-13) Columns - 1 page (14) :"In-Game Ads Work" - Lara Crigger :Why You Gamers Are Right - Kelly Wand Previews Empire: Total War - Exclusive screens and developer interview - Ben Biggs - 6 pages (20-25) Assassin's Creed - Developer interview - 4 pages (26-29) Lost - New screens - Ben Biggs - 1 page (30) Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty - New Screens - David Crookes - 1 page (31) The Club - Exclusive screens - Ben Biggs - 1 page (32) Empire Earth III - Playtest - Craig Gilmore - 1 page (33) Universe at War: Earth Assault - Playtest - Ian Morris - 2 pages (34-35) Features The Complete History of World of Warcraft - Alex Handy and Jason McMasters - 6 pages (40-45) Mod Report - 2 pages (78-79) Weapons of Mass Destruction - 4 pages (100-103) : Ever wondered how your favourite in-game weapons would fare in a real-world ruck? TPCG picks ten of the best and asks a specially selected panel of experts. Reviews 'Table' 'Verdicts' Gears of War :Stomps all over the 360 version - GOW PC's longevity means its a bargain for PC gamers. The Witcher :Gripping, deep and full of action. Pulled in by the first cut scene, you'll stick with it until the bitter end. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare :A brief but stunning single-player mode is fleshed out by the scope of multiplayer. Absolutely riveting. Clive Barker's Jericho :Breathtaking, cinematic horror that, for once, doesn't torture the FPS genre with cliched shoc tactics. Hellgate: London :A few rough edges, but at heart a proficient action RPG offering multiple gameplay experiences. TimeShift :It's unoriginal, but TimeShift still works due to excellent action, awesome visuals and insane set pieces. Blitzkrieg 2: Liberation :Nival has done no harm to its reputation for a quality budget ttile here. Escape from Paradise City :Intriguing idea but the pace is sluggish and its concept hasnt been fully exploited. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 :As a golfing game it works but it's just another clone with nothing new to offer. FIFA 08 :FIFA improves its formula but it still lacks the vitality of its console counterparts. World in Conflict :Definitely one of the best real-time strategies we've played this year. Requital :Sub-par presentation, but there is fun to be had in its generic bandit-bashing. Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer :No prizes for innovation or originality, but this is no slouch of an expansion pack. Bone: The Great Cow Race :Quality rather than quantity, but this will provide you with ten hours of fun. The Ship :The Ship ''is cutting-edge in terms of genre, gameplay and delivery. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown :A solid muliplayer experience marred by a broken single-player game. Silent Hunter III :The battles just about make the time you spend trawling the ocean worthwhile. Fastcrawl :Exactly what else were you going to do with that lunchbreak anyway? Chocolate Castle :It's tasty, addictive, nutrition-free and too much of it will make you sick. Nethergate: Resurrection :Look past the visuals and clunky interface to find a rewarding experience. Immortal Defense :It's bizarre, but ''Immortal Desire ''will entertain some, even if it's short-lived. MMO Worlds 'Spawn Point (News) Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures - (82-83) :The latest on its innovative combat system and campaign structure Gods & Heroes is canned - (83) :Developer Perpetual blames 'lofty and ambitious goals' for the fall of the Roman empire. Fists in Fury - (83) :PvP-focused MMO offers unique tactical abilities to spellcasters. City of Heroes - (84) :Massively multiplayer role-playing games, Batman! LOTOR: Could it be a WOW killer? - (85) Classic Battles - EVE Online - (86) '''Previews World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - Chris Reynolds - 2 pages (88-89) EverQuest II: Rise of Kunark - Jason McMasters - 1 page (90) Pirates of the Caribbean Online - Alex Handy - 1 page (91) 'Launch' Tabula Rasa - Ian Morris - 2⅔ pages (92-95) Richard Garriott Interview - Lara Crigger - 1⅓ pages (93-95) 'Reviews' 'Table' 'Verdicts' Guild Wars: Eye of the North :A brilliant expansion pack, designed for hardcore fans Bounty Bay Online :Rushing translation and making it unplayable is unforgivable. Hardware 'Group Test' Gaming Cases - Matt Powell - 7 pages (104-110) 'Reviews' Build a Rig - 2 pages (128-129) Redux System Shock 2 - Matt Powell - 1½ pages (132-133) The Making of Duke Nukem 3D - Alexander Gambotto-Burke - 4 pages (134-137) Cult Classic: Portal - Matt Powell - 1 page (139) Emulator Expose - Commodore Amiga 500 - Craig Grannell - 2 pages (140-141) Other Credits Associate Editor :Russell Barnes Group Art Editor :Ross Andrews Art Editor :James Davies Senior Designer :Andy Salter Reviews Editor :Matt Powell Staff Writer :Ben Biggs Sub Editors :Julie Easton, Sarah Slee Contributors :Mike Anderiesz, Lara Crigger, David Crookes, Craig Gilmore, Craig Grannell, Alex Handy, Adam Harrold, Dan Howdle, April Madden, Oliver Mather, Jason McMasters, Ben Miles, Ian Morris, Chris Reynolds, James Rundle, Lesley Smith, Spanner, Matt Tuffin, Kelly Wand Issue Index Category:Contains PC Reviews